We have some exciting news to share about our pursuit of a building. The next major step has been achieved. We have been approved for a loan! And we are making good progress on the remaining key steps (signing a contract; getting approval from the Village of Wheeling for a Special Use permit as a tax exempt organization; due diligence; and launching a capital campaign). Stay tuned for an e-mail from Shir Hadash President Jeff Wallk with all of the details, and keep checking the newsletter for more information.
What's Happening at a Glance
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| Watch a clip from Shabbat services led by our religious school students. |
- Wednesday, December 5: Next book group
- Delicious notes from the Persian cooking class
- Soup kitchen report
- Sunday, December 16: Bake sale!
- Upcoming school schedule
- Kallah! Midwest Regional Retreat February 15 to 17
- Report on the shopping spree for kids in need
- Friday, November 30: Learners' service
- Friday, December 7: Lights & Miracles
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| Another clip from Shabbat services. |
Adult Education
- There are no adult education classes this week
The Rabbi's Corner
- Happy Thanksgiving from Rabbi Eitan
Community Announcements
- Docent training at the Illinois Holocaust Museum
- Genetic education and screening program for young adults
- Holiday SHOP orders of at least $400 are now payable by credit card
Membership and Upcoming Events
Next Book Club Meets Wednesday, December 5
Persian Cooking Class Was Delicious
On Saturday November 10, Forouz Farahmandpour lead a wonderful Persian cooking class. It was well attended and a resounding success! Mandy provided a lot of help to Forouz and Kami poured the wine. The food was delicious and we all enjoyed each other's company. Forouz and Kami were very warm and welcoming hosts. There seems to be a demand for more cooking classes. Already, Bonny Davidson has offered to teach a gefilte fish making class. If you have ideas for other cooking classes, please contact Melanie Andes at fmandes@comcast.net.
We had a great group of volunteers for the Soup Kitchen on November 11 at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Evanston. More than 35 volunteers helped prepare and serve over 100 meals to grateful guests. What was most satisfying was that more than 20 children participated. The variety of food included many different kinds of chicken, casseroles and pastas. Shir Hadash members helped to prepare the dining room, make over 100 take home sack lunches, prepare food and serve meals. Guests were very grateful for Shir Hadash coming to serve them and many came up to our members and personally thanked them.
We will be holding our first fundraiser bake sale of the year on Sunday, December 16, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at religious school, located at the Hellenic Academy (Pine Street & Lake Cook Road). Proceeds will help pay for the game materials and prizes for our school Purim carnival. Last year, because of your amazing response, we were able to purchase an iPad for the Hebrew Lab. Let’s see how much we can raise this year! HELP WANTED! We need help in three categories:
- We are asking all of the incredibly talented bakers in our Shir Hadash family to provide delicious baked goods to sell.
- We need people to help out at the bake sale for a few hours that morning. We are planning to have a lot of fun working the bake sale.
- We also need people to buy these goodies! Perhaps your talents lie in selecting sweets from the market. Anything that's contributed will be appreciated.
- November 26: No school
- December 16: Bake sale, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Friday, March 1, 2013: Shabbat services will be led by grades K through 3
- Friday, May 17, 2013: Shabbat services will be led by our Havayah
All of our religious school students are currently working on being an active part of our Lights and Miracles service. Gan Yeladim through second graders have choreographed their own dance accompaniment to a song that Rabbi Eitan has been teaching the school. The older students are choreographing the movement to a Woody Guthrie Chanukah song. Please plan to attend. The service will be held on Friday, December 7, at 7:30 p.m., at LCHS. Latkes and donuts will be served!
Teen News
Planning is underway for the 2013 No'ar Hadash Midwest Youth Kallah, which will be held from February 15 to 17, 2013, at a NEW location. This year, Shir Hadash 6th to 12th graders will share a great weekend with teens from other Reconstructionist congregations at the Perlman Retreat Center at Camp Beber in Wisconsin. Watch the newsletter and your mailbox for registration materials, which will be available late November.
Shopping Spree for Kids Fun, Inspiring
Thank you and kol hakavod to our volunteers (teens, adults, and kids) at the coat shopping activity with Jewish Child & Family Services. Our group successfully shopped for more than 60 children in the care of JCFS finding coats, hats, mittens/gloves, snow pants, and boots for each child according to their wish lists. We managed to completely fill Karen's car with bags of winter items for the children in need of them. Many of these children have never owned anything new, let alone winter gear. that were purchased specifically for them. The hard work of our volunteers will put smiles on their faces as they head into the cold days of winter. Great job!
Creative Worship & Ritual
Friday, November 30: Learners’ Service
Next Friday, November 30, is a fifth Friday, which means we will be holding a learners' service. The service will be held at LCHS at 7:30 p.m., with a potluck oneg following. Stay tuned for more details.
Friday, December 7: Lights & Miracles
Light the Lights and celebrate the Jewish festival of freedom—Chanukah. Generations of American Jewish songwriters have written beautiful Chanukah songs. This year, we celebrate the American style of welcoming the Chanukah holiday. Shir Hadash folk musicians will lead us in a hootenanny jam and sing-along of favorite songs like Oh Chanukah and Dreidel, Dreidel. The celebration will feature our band, the Mighty Shir Hadash Klezmorim, who will get us on our feet. Our youth dancers will perform to Woody Guthrie’s Chanukah song. We will tell stories, learn the lessons of our tradition, light the Chanukah menorah, and wave glow lights as we sing. After the service, join us for potato latkes and doughnuts, traditional Chanukah treats. Services will be held on Friday, December 7, at 7:30 p.m., at LCHS.
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| Lillian Cohen celebrated turning 99 by cracking jokes. |
Last Friday, November 16, our Shabbat services were led by the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th graders. The kids did a wonderful job of leading and participating. We also celebrated Lillian Cohen’s 99th birthday! Lillian’s daughter, Susan Cohen, was the first president of Shir Hadash! Check out these YouTube videos of the service!
Adult Education
There are no adult education classes this week.
The Rabbi's Corner
November 22, 2012/8 Kislev 5773
Happy Thanksgiving From Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Dear Friends,
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| One more clip from Shabbat services! |
To read the rest of Rabbi Eitan’s blog, visit The Rabbi's Corner.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Community Announcements
Docent Training at the Illinois Holocaust Musuem
- December 5, 2012: Final applications due
- Early February 2014: Prospective docent interviews
- Late February 2013: Acceptance letters mailed
- June 2014: Docent training program begins. Sessions: June 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12
The museum is located at 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie. To learn more and download the application online, go to www.ilholocaustmuseum.org/volunteer, or call (847) 967-4800.
Genetic Education and Screening Program for Young Adults
Registration is now open for the Center for Jewish Genetics’ carrier screening programs for young Jewish adults. The Center offers an expanded panel of 18 disorders, including Tay-Sachs disease, Gaucher disease, and Cystic Fibrosis. Join the Center in October or December for a subsidized screening program ($180 per person), which includes an educational presentation, dinner, and screening. These tests usually cost more than $3,000! Pre-registration is required. Please contact Taryn Brickman at TarynBrickman@juf.org or visit www.jewishgenetics.org to learn more.
Genetic Education and Screening Program for Young Adults
Registration is now open for the Center for Jewish Genetics’ carrier screening programs for young Jewish adults. The Center offers an expanded panel of 18 disorders, including Tay-Sachs disease, Gaucher disease, and Cystic Fibrosis. Join the Center in October or December for a subsidized screening program ($180 per person), which includes an educational presentation, dinner, and screening. These tests usually cost more than $3,000! Pre-registration is required. Please contact Taryn Brickman at TarynBrickman@juf.org or visit www.jewishgenetics.org to learn more.
SHOP Shir Hadash
Holiday SHOP orders of at least $400 are now payable by credit card. Annual SHOP orders are also payable by credit card. If every family purchases $400 a month in grocery, gas, or other cards, we can earn more than $15,000. Shir Hadash believes that an inability to pay should never be a barrier to membership or education. Special consideration is given to our members when circumstances prevent them from meeting any part of their financial commitment. To offset this consideration and to make up the budgetary deficit, the Board is asking that all members consider making a monthly commitment to using shop gift cards. Purchasing SHOP gift cards helps the shul raise much needed funds without spending any more money than you already do for your regular expenses. A complete list of the many gift cards available through this program, along with the percentage the shul earns is available on our website. Orders can be picked up at Sunday school or the Shir Hadash office.
- M. Graff
- Zinbarg
- Schleicher
- Lazar
- Zwick
- Schmidt
- Foruoz
- Friedman
- Anes
- Soglin
New Retailer & Product Updates
- Walmart is offering a savings of 10 cents a gallon on gas purchases made when using a Walmart Gift Card, starting August 31, 2012, until December 23, 2012.
- Holiday Gift Card Wrappers (10-pack) include ten different designs and are available for $2.00 with a 10% non-profit contribution.
- Thank-Scrip-ing Day lasts just 24 hours on Thanksgiving Day. You can order and print ScripNow™ eCards and earn some of the best rebates ever offered.
- GFS, Hallmark, & Sports Authority now available for ReloadNow™
- New ScripNow Retailers: Game Stop, Spa Week, FDT, Omaha Steaks, & QVC
Changes to Reload Schedule over the Holidays
Thanksgiving:
- No reloads on Thursday, November 22, 2012.
- Reload orders placed and paid for after 3:30 p.m. EST (Eastern Standard Time) on Wednesday, November 21, 2012, until 3:30 p.m. EST on Friday, November 23, 2012, will be available for use the morning of Saturday, November 24, 2012.
- No reloads from Monday, December 24, 2012, through Wednesday, December 26, 2012.
- Reload orders placed and paid for after 3:30 p.m. EST (Eastern Standard Time) on Friday, December 21, 2012, until 3:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, December 27, 2012, will be available for use the morning of Friday, December 28, 2012.
- No reloads on Tuesday, January 1, 2013.
- Reload orders placed and paid for after 3:30 p.m. EST (Eastern Standard Time) on Monday, December 31, 2012, will be available for use the morning of Thursday, January 3, 2013.
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